55 – To a new Appointment - Hong Kong/Taiwan
Normally when children grow up they leave their parents to set up their own homes. In our case, it was the reverse; we were leaving two children behind – Gladys 22 and Stephen 20 to fend for themselves. It was with a tinge of sorrow that we met that evening, 5th January 1982 for family prayers for the last time. We read the Bible and I offered praise and thanks to our Heavenly Father for the many years of blessing for the family and then committed them to Him for His safe keeping.
We left home the next morning at about 9.00 a.m - the whole family of five packed in the yellow Ford Escort which had served us (and the PR Secretary for his Malaysian trips) nearly nine years! I drove it for the last time to Changi Airport and Stephen was tasked to drive it back to Command Headquarters and hand the keys over to Lieut. Colonel Maxwell.
Officers and other comrades were at the airport to big us farewell. At 10.30 a.m. Lieut. Colonel Maxwell called the group together and after offering the final prayer instructed everyone to leave so that the Lim family could be together for the last few minutes. The final call came; we bade Gladys and Stephen farewell. It was a painful parting as my wife and I with Poh Chin in a wheel chair moved towards the departure lounge. The stewardess was on board to help wheel Poh Chin up the ramp and we were the first to embark. We left on Cathay Pacific CX 710. Good bye Singapore – the land of my birth and upbringing to new ventures in answer to the call of God.
The plane landed at Kai Tak Airport at 3.00 p.m. – Hong Kong, the land of my wife’s birth! To her it was ‘balek kampong.’ We received VIP treatment, thanks to the efforts of the Public Relations Secretary Captain John McPherson and the reputation of The Salvation Army. He had been in touch with the Airport authorities to make the arrangements for our welcome. We did not even have to queue up for the immigration or customs. The General Secretary Major Moira Wright and Captain John McPherson were at the tarmac to greet and escort us to meet the welcoming party of officers, Salvationists, friends waiting outside with the flags and banners and beaming smiles!
The Press was waiting at the VIP room to interview the new Officer Commanding. It was the first time an Asian, and ethnic Chinese was taking charge of Hong Kong. They posed their questions and I responded to the best of my ability. The next day Hong Kong’s main paper, The South China Morning Post had a report of the interview with a big picture of me and my wife. The caption was “Soldier of mercy takes up new post” They highlighted the fact that my father was a stowaway from Shantou (Swatow) China and also my wife was born in Hong Kong. The report and photograph took more than half a page, certainly very generous coverage.
Staff of the Public Relations Department, Simon Wong the assistant, and Eddie Chan the driver saw to our luggage and soon we were on our way to our quarters at Castle Peak Road. – a bungalow up on a hill called Pink Villa some 16 kilometres from Kowloon city. Major Moira Wright occupied the upstairs unit and we had the ground floor. The scenery was beautiful. From the lounge we could see the sea with Chinese junks gliding calmly across the waters. There was another identical house in the same compound and at that time unoccupied.
O it was cold and to us from the tropics it was freezing! When we left Singapore the temperature was 32 degrees Celcius. Three and a half hours later we were in Hong Kong; it was 6 degrees! The quarters did not have central heating, but in each room was a kerosene heater. We had to learn to live in a different climate with the four seasons - spring, summer, autumn and winter in contrast with Singapore’s three – hot, hotter and hottest! In life we just have to learn to adjust to the different climates and ways of living.
That first evening in Hong Kong we had our usual family prayer together. We thanked God for safe arrival, for the many years of blessing, for His greatness, His goodness and graciousness. Then we committed our two older children in Singapore, plus our many friends to God’s safe keeping.
Surrounded by such beauty, calm sea, hills, trees, shrubs, flowers I thought of words of assurance by John Greenleaf Whittier, one of my favourite poets in his poem “The Eternal Goodness’
“I know now where his islands lift
Their fronded palms in air;
I only know I cannot drift
Beyond his love and care.”
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